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Thursday, March 24, 2016

United Airlines pilot grounded after arrested during prostitution sting

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities have charged a pair in connection with an alleged sex crime ring.Bruce Wayne Wallis and Tracie Tanner are charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution. Wallis is also charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.Prosecutors say Wallis ran a total of six brothels, with at least 20 women working for him as prostitutes. They would reportedly pay him $400 a week.Wallis is a pilot for United Airlines, but has been grounded at this time.United Airlines issued the following statement: "We hold our employees to the highest standards and are assisting the authorities in this matter. We have removed the employee from his flying duties."Earlier this month, authorities announced more than 400 arrests in a Houston-area sex trafficking sting.Story and video: http://abc13.com

(HOUSTON) -- A United Airlines pilot was arrested at his Houston home Wednesday for allegedly running a "prostitution enterprise" in Texas, court records indicate.Bruce Wayne Wallis, 51, was charged with aggravated promotion of prostitution and engaging in organized criminal activity, according to court documents filed Thursday at the Harris County District Court. Both charges are felonies.Wallis is out on bond, which was set at $15,000 total for both charges, after appearing in probable cause court Thursday, records show. His alleged accomplice, 37-year-old Tracie Tanner of Rosenberg, Texas, was out on $5,000 bond after she was charged with felony aggravated promotion of prostitution.Further details about the cases were not immediately available.United Airlines has removed Wallis from flight duty and is assisting authorities in their investigations, a spokesperson told ABC News."We hold our employees to the highest standard," the airline said.In 2013, Wallis was added to the Federal Aviation Administration's Airmen Certification Database, a "prestigious" list of certified pilots who have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA."Pilot certification standards have evolved over time in an attempt to reduce pilot errors that lead to fatal crashes," a portion of an FAA announcement recognizing Wallis reads. "FAA pilot certification can be the difference between a safe flight and one that ends in tragedy."The FAA and the Texas Pilots Association did not immediately responded to ABC News' request for comment. ABC News could not immediately reach Wallis or Tanner for comment.Original article can be found here: http://wbt.com